The concept of emotional intelligence isn’t new. In fact it’s beginnings date back to the 1920s where it was coined as social intelligence, or the ability to get along with others.
Emotional Intelligence, or EQ as it is now more commonly referred to (Sometimes also called EI), has been framed in a multitude of ways by theorists, psychologists and academics over the years, but its importance hasn’t changed. As much as 80% of an individual’s success can be attributed to EQ, the other 20% comes from components of the intelligence quotient, or IQ[2].
Described in its most basic form, emotional intelligence is the ability to understand and express your emotions. In the words of one of the best known EQ theorists Daniel Goleman it’s about “not just using your head, but also your heart”[3].
If you think that definition is a little too simplistic for something so important Daniel Goleman, who is renowned for pioneering the focus on EQ in the workplace, also describes emotional intelligence in more detail saying it refers to “the capacity for recognizing our own feelings and those of others for motivating ourselves and for managing emotions well in ourselves and in our relationship”[4]. You can break it down further into two parts: applying knowledge appropriately/intelligence and applying feeling appropriately/being emotionally astute.
Take this simple example – your work colleague is not happy, you can pick this up from his body language. You don’t know if he is unhappy with your work on a joint project, or maybe he got a speeding fine on the way to work. You decide not to take it personally, managing your own response and getting on with your job. Later in the day, when you pick up he is less angry, you take the opportunity to ask if is anything you can do to take some work off his plate.
Every aspect of this interaction uses emotional intelligence – sensing that your colleague is unhappy, regulating your own response, and choosing when and how to interact the person. Imagine a workplace where you couldn’t do these things?
Just like there are many ways to describe EQ, there are also many and far reaching benefits. Research consistency shows that EQ has a positive impact on client relations, business development and employee turnover rates[5]. Being competent in emotional intelligence means you will encounter less perceived stress than people with little to no EQ. There is also a financial benefit of emotional intelligence, a study[6] into the finance sector found a direct correlation between the emotional intelligence of the company’s advisors and business success.
From day to day life, to professional development and learning, career progression and relationships, emotional intelligence can bring benefits to you as an individual and to your organisation. It’s been described as being twice as important in top performers as cognitive ability.
However you choose to define it, and whatever your ability, all of your professional and personal interactions and relationships rely on a level of emotional intelligence. Importantly wherever you sit on the emotional intelligence scale, you can always improve your abilities.
Over the coming weeks Future Institute will bring you a number of informative articles on emotional intelligence, including exploring the six areas of emotional intelligence, how it can help you improve your client relationships, help with your career progression, and why it just might be more important to success than IQ.
[1] Coleman, H and Argue, M., 2015, ‘Mediating with Emotional Intelligence: When IQ Just Isn’t Enough’, Dispute Resolution Journal, Vol 70, No 3
[2] Kirch, D, Tucker, M and Kirch, C., 2001, ‘The Benefits of Emotional Intelligence in Accounting Firms, The CPA Journal August 200, p. 60
[3] Yadav, S., 2014, ‘The Role of Emotional Intelligence in Organization Development’, The IUP Journal of Knowledge Management, Vol. XII, No. 4
[4] Yadav, S., 2014, ‘The Role of Emotional Intelligence in Organization Development’, The IUP Journal of Knowledge Management, Vol. XII, No. 4
[5] Coleman, H and Argue, M., 2015, ‘Mediating with Emotional Intelligence: When IQ Just Isn’t Enough’, Dispute Resolution Journal, Vol 70, No 3
[6] Hays, S., 1999, ‘American Express Taps Into the Power of Emotional Intelligence’, Workforce, Vol. 78 Issue 7, p.72
